That's why a blue ribbon has become the international symbol for child abuse prevention. Throughout the month of April blue ribbons will spread across Northern Kentucky creating awareness on the issue.

The Family Nurturing Center displays more than 600 blue ribbons on the white fence in front of Tom Gill Chevrolet, at the Florence Freedom baseball stadium and along Ewing Bouelvard in Florence. The blue ribbon became a symbol of child abuse prevention in 1989, when a Virginia grandmother first tied a blue ribbon on the antenna of her van as a symbol to alert her community to this growing epidemic.
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"It's m

ore than a collection of ribbons, it's an opportunity for the community to step up and take a stand against child abuse," said Jane Herms, executive director of the Family Nurturing Center. "It's a visible reminder of our collective responsibility and power to end child abuse."

This year's featured speakers at the ceremony will be Larry Gildea and Dan Horn. Gildea's son, Doug, was sexually abused as a child by a neighbor in the 1970s. Never recovering from the incident, Doug committed suicide in 1992. The Cincinnati family went public with their story in a Cincinnati Enquirer article by reporter Dan Horn last November.

Horn said he's honored to be a guest speaker. "Larry and the Gildea family are amazing people; it takes a lot of courage to speak out about this."

Following the lunch and speakers, guests will be encouraged to hang a blue ribbon on the white fence in front of Tom Gill Chevrolet. Volunteers from Cummins Filtration Inc. will hang ribbons along Ewing Boulevard and on the fence in front of the Florence Freedom stadium; 600 blue ribbons will be on display.

"Seeing a display of blue ribbons is moving," Herms said. "Ending child abuse isn't just for Family Nurturing Center – it takes parents, schools, businesses, government, the faith community, all of us to make that change. Child abuse thrives on a culture of secrecy and shame. Together, we can move it from the darkness of ignorance into the full light of day, where every adult takes an active role in safeguarding children. Seeing blue ribbons empowers me to know that we're all working together to transform lives and community."

According to Herms, Northern Kentucky leads the nation in children's deaths involving abuse and neglect. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services reports that in 2013, there were more than 6,000 children reported abused or neglect in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties combined.

"The U.S. annually spends almost $104 billion on foster care, hospitalization, law enforcement and loss of productivity to society to address the needs of child abuse," Herms said.

The region is not without hope. Child abuse is preventable, she said, with the support of every adult.

"Children's well being is an adult responsibility," Herms said. "Permanent cultural change in the way a community prevents and responds to child abuse occurs by educating adults and empowering individuals. Committing time and resources to do this is an investment in a better future."

To report suspicions of child abuse and neglect in Kentucky, call 859-292-6550 weekdays or 877-KYSAFE1 nights and weekends.

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Get involved

There will be other opportunities to create awareness of child abuse including Blue Sunday and the Blue Ribbon 5K Race.

Blue Sunday

Churches across the state are asked to recognize April 27 as Blue Sunday. On this day, people of all faiths will join together in a day of prayer to demonstrate their support for children and families who have been touched by abuse, and appreciation to those who help abused or neglected children.

Stewards of Children

Churches are also invited to take part in the Stewards of Children training. Stewards of Children is a research-based sexual abuse prevention training program that educates adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to the epidemic of child sexual abuse.

An authorized facilitator of Stewards of Children is available to come to churches to conduct training. The facilitator is also equipped to consult with the church about child protection policies and procedures. To schedule an in-person training, contact Carol Lapin at 859-538-1614.

Blue Ribbon 5K Race

The Blue Ribbon 5K Race will be 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31. The race starts and finishes at General Cable, 4 Tesseneer Drive, Highland Heights. The handicap accessible race route winds through Northern Kentucky University's campus and includes hills and flat sections. Registration is available at www.familynurture.org.